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Tag: Zamfara Government

  • Zamfara gov’t moves to address demographic challenges 

    Zamfara gov’t moves to address demographic challenges 

    The Zamfara Government, in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has embarked on a stakeholders’ sensitisation exercise on demographic dividends for future development of the state.

    The sensitisation programme was organised by the State Ministry of Budget and Planning in collaboration with the UNFPA.

    The first category of the training had participants from the Media, CSOs,  Academia and government officials.

    The participants of the second and third batches of the training included Commissioners, traditional rulers, Directors, Heads of government agencies and parastatals, among others.

    The State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Abdulmalik Gajam, while speaking at the training session in Gusau on T described Zamfara Government’s partnership with UNFPA as a welcome development.

    Gajam, represented by the Director, Administration of the ministry, Mr Bashir Mailafiya, urged the participants to open their minds and discuss extensively with a view to achieving the general objectives of the program.

    “I am particularly delighted to see the diverse stakeholders and policy makers, technical experts for a project of our state’s development through effective population management and investment of our people.

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    “The present administration under Gov. Dauda Lawal would continue to collaborate with stakeholders to translate faster economic growth, improved productivity, and enhanced social well-being.

    “This opportunity will not happen automatically it requires collaborative and sustained investments in key areas such as education, health, job creation, and good governance,” Gajam added.

    He noted that: “Our teeming youths must be healthy, well-educated, and meaningfully engaged to greve innovation, productivity and inclusive growth”.

    Gajam added, “Today’s engagement, therefore not just mother meeting, it is a call to action. It is also a platform to work for addressing our current demographic challenges.”

    Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Gov. Dauda Lawal on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Aliyu Adamu-Barmo, said the demographic dividends programme was in line with the state government’s policy on health, education, youths and women empowerment.

    “The SDGs office in the state was ever ready to collaborate with all stakeholders to enhance grassroots sensitisation for actualising the demographic devidend processes.

    “This is timely as the meeting would discuss the state’s demographic profile and trends, highlighting the implications for social and economic planning

    “This meeting would also identify policy and programmatic gaps that need to be addressed to create an enabling environment for harnessing the demographic,”  Adamu-Barmo said.

    The Assistant Representative of the UNFPA, Prof .Andat Dasogot, who facilitated the training, said engagement with the stakeholders was necessary considering their roles in the sensitisation process.

    “The demographic dividends aim to ensure that we reduce the dependants in our growing population.

    “This is to ensure that we invest more in education, skills, health and create more opportunities the teeming population and provides good governance for them.

    “Having extended all our presentations, we expect the participants to move further and extend the knowledge acquired at their various levels,” Dasogot said.

    Earlier, Mr Lawal Shehu, State UNFPA Coordinator, said the training aimed to sensitise stakeholders in the concept of demographic dividend.

    Shehu said that the overall objective of the sensitization meeting is to enhance stakeholders understanding of the demographic dividend and to promote coordinated actions toward harnessing it for sustainable development in Zamfara.

    “Specifically, this meeting aims to increase awareness among policymakers, development partners, and stakeholders on the concept of the demographic dividend and its relevance to Zamfara State’s development agenda,” he added.

  • Killings: Zamfara Govt. donates N60m to victims’ families

    The Zamfara Government on Tuesday donated cash to families of those killed by gunmen in Kawaye village in Anka Local Government area of the state.

    The gunmen had attacked the village, killing 13 persons and burnt down several houses and food items worth millions of naira.

    The donation was presented by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, at Anka Emir’s palace, the headquarters of the local government.

    Rikiji said the state government released the donation of over N60 million, 318 bags of assorted grains and 305 sets of clothing materials.

    The beneficiaries comprised families of the deceased, kidnapped victims and those who lost their properties.

    Rikiji, said N500,000 would be given to each of the deceased family while N250,000 to those who lost their properties, shops, houses, motorcycles and silos.

    He said the state government also donated N500,000 to each of the 10 persons who lost their vehicles to the bandits during the attack and N200,000 to each of the 60 kidnapped victims from the area.

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    He said N2 million also would be given to a victim who lost his new car to the fire set up by the bandits during the attack.

    Rikiji said the assistance was aimed at supporting the victims and reducing their worries caused by the incident.

    He urged people of the state to continue with prayers and support government and security agencies in fighting insecurity in the state.

    The Emir of Anka and Chairman of the state Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, thanked the government for the assistance.

    Ahmad promised judicious distribution of the items to the affected victims.

    He decried the incessant killings caused by the bandit attacks in the state, which he described as unfortunate and worrisome.

    The emir attributed the increase of insecurity in the country to handling of arms by individuals.

    He said the major cause of insecurity in the country was the proliferation of illegal arms from neighbouring countries through borders.

    He urged the Federal Government to maximise its efforts in ensuring border control management in the country.

    The Chairman of Anka Local Government, Alhaji Mustafa Muhammad, lauded measures introduced by the government in addressing security challenges in the state.

    He urged security agencies to increase their efforts to provide solutions to the problem. (NAN)

  • Banditry: Zamfara calls for 3-day fasting

    The Zamfara Government has called on the people of the state to embark on three-day fasting and intensive prayers to seek God’s intervention against the activities of bandits, kidnappers and other crimes.

    The state’s Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bello Dankande, made the call at a news conference on Tuesday in Gusau.

    He said “I am sure you all know the efforts the state government and the Federal Government are making to tackle the activities of criminal elements in the state.

    “We believe that the fasting and prayers will facilitate Allah’s intervention for both the safety and success of our security men and bring the ugly situation to an end.

    “These three days of fasting is voluntary to everybody because we are all either directly or indirectly affected by the situation.

    “We are also soliciting for the intensive reading of the complete Holy Qur’an by Islamic scholars and their students to invoke Allah’s help.”

    The commissioner said that the law against wood logging and illegal sale of petrol in the state were still in place, adding that violators would face the full wrath of the law.

    “The ban on wood logging and illegal sale of petrol had greatly frustrated the activities of bandits as the law had affected their food supply, fuel, among others.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state government had in 2018 imposed a ban on wood logging and illegal sales of petrol in the state.

    “This followed reports that the bandits received food, illicit drugs, alcohol and other supplies through the wood loggers and those who engaged in illegal sale of petrol to the bandits.”

  • Insecurity: Zamfara suspends two district heads

    The Zamfara Government has suspended two traditional rulers from office for allegedly violating its directives against banditry activities in the state.

    The traditional rulers are Senior district heads of Birnin-Magaji emirate, Alhaji Aliyu Shehu-Maishanu and district head of Kaya in Maradun Local Government Area, Alhaji Bello Maiwurno.

    The government has also directed the suspended district heads to appear before the Investigation Department of the State’s Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    Alhaji Bello Dankande, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy, Affairs, announced this at a news conference in Gusau on Tuesday.

    Dankande said the traditional rulers were suspended for violating the order banning sale of petroleum products in jerrycans earlier issued by the government.

    “You know, recently we met with Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) where we banned the sale of petroleum in jerrycans and open tanks as part of measures to tackle security challenges in this state.

    “We came up with that decision because we learned that some people were using that opportunity to supply petroleum products to the bandits in the bushes.

    “Unfortunately, these two district heads were suspected to be issuing an illegal permit to some petroleum dealers in their areas to continue selling the product in jerrycans despite the earlier directives by the government in this regard, ” he said.

    The commissioner said the state government was taking the measures to tackle security challenges facing the state.

    “The state government would not tolerate anybody involved in or supporting the criminals, no matter how big his position.”

    He further disclosed that the state government and security agencies were recording successes following the measures.

    “Even yesterday, nine suspected cattle rustlers were arrested in Bakura Local Government Area moving with about 700 cows enroute to Sokoto State.”

    He appealed to communities and members of the public to always support government and security agencies with information from their areas (NAN)

  • Vaccination : Zamfara targets 3.2 million for Yellow fever

    Vaccination : Zamfara targets 3.2 million for Yellow fever

    Zamfara Government will vaccinate 3.2 million people during the ongoing yellow fever vaccination campaign, the state Commissioner of Health, Alhaji Lawal Liman, has said.

    Liman said in an interview with reporters in Gusau on Monday that the vaccination would be conducted in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.

    “We have already concluded the first phase of the exercise which covers four local government areas of Anka, Gusau, Maru and Maradun and we have recorded great success.

    “We are now on the second phase which would cover ten local government areas of Bungudu, Birnin-Magaji, Bakura, Bukkuyum, Gummi, Kaura-Namoda, Shinkafi Talata-Mafara, Tsafe and Zurmi.

    “We started the second phase of this exercise last four days, we have reached about 40 percent coverage now and it would end in the next six days”, he said.

    According to him, the vaccine is for the people from 9 months to 45 years of age.

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    The commissioner therefore urged residents to cooperate with the government for the success of the exercise.

    He said that, “the reports we are receiving from our officials on the fields is indicating that the exercise is moving smoothly, our people are participating across the state, we have been enlightening them through jingles, programmes on radio and television.

    “We are still calling on stakeholders to continue enlightening members of the public on the importance of the vaccine so as to achieve the desired objective,” Liman added.

    He assured that measures had been put in by all stakeholders including development partners “to reach out to the targeted number of people or beyond at the end of the exercise.”

    NAN

  • Zamfara govt. registers 1,290 farmers

    Zamfara govt. registers 1,290 farmers

    The Zamfara Government has registered 1,290 farmers for 2017 dry season farming under the Fadama III project.

    The State Fadama III Project Coordinator, Alhaji Aliyu Altine-Shinkafi, told newsmen in Gusau on Friday that the farmers were registered through their groups and associations.

    “We have a total of 129 farmers’ groups, with each group having between 10 and 15 individual farmers,” he said.

    He said the farmers would be given farm inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and agrochemicals.

    According to him, each farmer will be given six bags of fertilisers, 75 kilograms of seeds, six litres of agrochemicals and other farming equipment.

    Altine-Shinkafi said that each beneficiary would be required to pay only 50 per cent of the total cost of the inputs he received, while the government would pay the 50 per cent balance.

    “We will also provide farming equipment and machinery for them through their groups at 80 per cent subsidy.

    “All the support offered to them under this project is not loan but free of charge.

    “We selected only two crops, rice and sorghum, to be cultivated under this Fadama III dry season farming project.

    “We also selected Bakura, Maradun and Talata-Mafara Local Government Areas for the dry season project because of their advantage of being near the Bakalori Dam, which is good for irrigation farming,’’ he said.

    Altine-Shinkafi, however, said that sales of farm inputs to farmers in the areas had started.

    “We have already sensitised all the registered farmers and we will continue to monitor their activities in order to improve their capacity,’’ he said.

    The project coordinator, therefore, urged farmers to utilise all the inputs and training given to them judiciously in order to achieve the desired goals of the project.

    He said that government embarked on the project to boost the food security of the country, while reviving the national economy through agriculture.